Merger mania takes FTSE sky high

MERGER MANIA helped London shares roar ahead to a near-record close yesterday, with more than one billion shares changing hands during the day.

The FTSE-100 index ended the day up 182.9 points - or 3.1 per cent - at 6,123.9 just 55 points shy of last July's record close.

Market excitement was driven by news of Vodafone's pounds 37bn takeover of US rival AirTouch, the prospect of a huge defence merger between British Aerospace and GEC-Marconi and takeover talks at Mirror Group Newspapers.

Telecoms, pharmaceutical and bank stocks all surged as takeover rumours swept through the market. The telecoms group Orange saw its shares rise 16 per cent, while Colt Telecom were up 14 per cent on the day.

Barclays shares gained 5 per cent, National Westminster rose 4.5 per cent and SmithKline Beecham shares were up 7 per cent.

"We've had a big merger in the oil sector last year with BP and Amoco. Telecoms companies are next," said Savvas Savouri, strategist at Credit Lyonnais Securities. "People are also looking at pharmaceuticals."

Sentiment was also buoyed by confirmation from the Brazilian Central Bank that it would allow its currency, the real, to float freely, subject to the occasional limited intervention. Francisco Lopes, bank president, said the decision to let the real float had been well-received in Washington, although City analysts speculated that the US was less than happy about recent developments.

Reports that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had decided to withhold the second tranche of the Brazilian rescue package pending an improvement in Brazil's fiscal position undermined the real.

The IMF refused to confirm or deny the reports, which sent the real almost 7 per cent lower against the dollar.

Giving evidence to the European parliament, Wim Duisenberg, president of the European Central Bank, said the weaker global environment would hit European growth. However, he maintained that interest rates were at an appropriate level.

His comments came as Eurostat reported further falls in European industrial producer prices.